‘Broker’ director Kore-eda aims to break prejudice against mothers who give up kids

Japanese director Hirokazu Kore-eda’s new film “Broker” does not hide the key question that the director wants to ask the audience: Should mothers take all the blame for abandoning their children in “baby boxes”? “At the beginning of the movie, Soo-jin (played by Bae Doo-na) says ‘if you are going to abandon a newborn, you should not have given a birth to him.’ This shows that there is a kind of prejudice toward mothers. The film starts from the

June 6, 2022

'The Roundup' tops 9 million viewers

The Korean action comedy "The Roundup," starring "Eternals" star Ma Dong-seok, topped 9 million accumulated viewers Monday, data showed. On its 20th day on the big screen Monday, the sequel to the 2017 hit movie "The Outlaws" has nabbed more than 9 million in attendance, according to data from the Korean Film Council. The detective action flick released May 18 is continuing to shatter pandemic-era box-office records, having become the first film to reach the 8 milli

June 6, 2022

[Box Office] Movies in theaters this week

Hommage (Korea) Opened May 26 Drama Directed by Shin Su-won Director Ji-wan (Lee Jung-eun) is in a slump. She aims to entice 200,000 patrons to her new film but finds it difficult to reach her goal. Her family provides little support. One day Ji-wan gets a part-time job restoring an old film about the country‘s first female judge created by first-generation female director Hong Eun-won. Through this process, her passion for filmmaking is renewed. The Red Herring (Korea) Opened May

June 3, 2022

Korean audiences’ feedbacks are more important than winning Cannes: Park Chan-wook

Feedback from Korean audiences for his new thriller-romance film “Decision to Leave” is more important than winning a trophy at Cannes Film Festival, director Park Chan-wook said during a press conference held at JW Marriott Dongdaemun Square Seoul on Thursday. Park won the best director award for his new film on May 28 at the 75th Cannes Film Festival in southern France. “This film, in particular, is different from my previous work in that it has many elements that only Ko

June 2, 2022

'Jurassic World Dominion' sets new opening day score in pandemic era

The sci-fi action adventure film "Jurassic World Dominion" has set the best opening-day record in South Korea during the COVID-19 pandemic, box office data showed Thursday. The latest installment of the "Jurassic Park" franchise garnered 763,000 viewers upon its debut Wednesday, accounting for 52.9 percent of the tickets sold on the day, according to the Korean Film Council (KOFIC). It marked the largest first-day score for any release since the new coronavirus broke out in e

June 2, 2022

Director Kore-eda says Song Kang-ho inspired him to make ’Broker‘

Actor Song Kang-ho recalled what it was like to receive the best actor award at the 75th Cannes Film Festival, a first for a Korean male, during a press conference for the film held Tuesday, just a day after returning from France. “Very few get to receive awards at Cannes. Only seven out of 21 movies (in competition) get awards. Before midnight, those seven films get a notice that they will receive awards. So I was really nervous before midnight,” Song said during the press confere

June 1, 2022

Cannes-winning actor Song Kang-ho talks about historic award receiving moments

Song Kang-ho recalled what it was like to receive the country’s first best actor award at the 75th Cannes Film Festival during the first press conference for the film held after he returned from France on Tuesday. “Very few get to receive awards at Cannes. Only seven out of 21 movies (in competition) get awards. Before midnight those seven films get a notice that they will receive awards. So I was really nervous before midnight,” Song said during the press conference held at

May 31, 2022

CJ ENM anticipated to hit jackpot with ‘Decision to Leave,’ ‘Broker’: experts

CJ ENM is likely to hit the box office jackpot as an investment distributor of two films -- “Decision to Leave” and “Broker” -- which won major titles at the 75th Cannes Film Festival, film critics said. Park Chan-wook won best director for “Decision to Leave” and Song Kang-ho won best actor for “Broker” at Cannes on Saturday. Some local film critics predicted that CJ ENM could sell as many tickets as it did pre-pandemic in 2019 with the two fi

May 30, 2022

'The Roundup' becomes most-watched film in 2022 to date

The Korean action comedy "The Roundup" has become the biggest hit film in 2022 to date, surpassing 6.5 million in total attendance, box-office data showed Monday. The sequel to the 2017 hit comedy "The Outlaws" garnered 1.79 million people over the Friday to Sunday period, bringing its combined total to 6.54 million, according to the Korean Film Council. It is the highest audience record set by all releases in 2022, outnumbering "Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madne

May 30, 2022

Korean films that brought home Cannes awards

South Korean cinema brought home two trophies from this year’s Cannes Film Festival -- best director for Park Chan-wook of “Decision to Leave” and best actor for Song Kang-ho of “Broker.” While the two wins follow the Palme d’Or win by Bong Joon-ho’s “Parasite” in 2019, this year’s festival is all the more significant in that it is the first time there have been two Korean films winning at the same time at one of the three most acclaim

May 29, 2022

[Analysis] Korean cinema is having its moment in the sun

The 75th Cannes Film Festival was one of the most productive outings for South Korean movies to date, marking the first time the nation claimed two major trophies at one of the world’s most prestigious film events. It was another reminder of how the country’s cinema went from relative obscurity to claiming a bigger spotlight on the international stage. Song Kang-ho, star of “Broker,” became the first Korean in history to receive the best actor award, while Park Chan-woo

May 29, 2022

[Newsmaker] Director Park Chan-wook, master of mise-en-scene

South Korean filmmaker Park Chan-wook’s best director win at the 75th Cannes Film Festival on Saturday for his mystery film, “Decision to Leave,” is the director’s third prize at the international film festival. His iconic action noir “Oldboy,” indelible in the memory of many for the much-talked-about live octopus eating scene, brought him the Grand Prix in 2004, while horror film “Thirst” earned him the Jury Prize in 2009.  Marking his 3

May 29, 2022

Park Chan-wook wins best director, Song Kang-ho, best actor at Cannes

One of the world’s most prestigious film festivals has once again acknowledged the power of South Korean cinema. South Korea took home two major titles -- Park Chan-wook won best director for “Decision to Leave” and Song Kang-ho won best actor for “Broker” – at the 75th Cannes Film Festival that ended Saturday. Park’s thriller-romance film, “Decision to Leave,” about a detective who comes across a widow who is a prime suspect in his murder

May 29, 2022

[Herald Interview] K-drama star Seo Hyun-jin nervous to present movie ’Cassiopeia‘

Even though K-drama star Seo Hyun-jin has appeared in numerous hit soap operas including “The Beauty Inside,” “Another Miss Oh,” and “Temperature of Love,” she found working on the upcoming feature film “Cassiopeia” nerve-racking. “This is my first proper leading role in a movie, so I am nervous and am very curious about the audience’s reaction,” Seo said during an interview with local reporters via videoconference on Thursday.

May 27, 2022

Kore-eda says if 'Broker' is not fun, this would be his responsibility

CANNES, France -- Japanese auteur Hirokazu Kore-eda has said that he will take full responsibility for any criticism for his Cannes-competing drama "Broker" made with Korean creative minds. "Korea's star actors and renowned crew members participated in this project," the Japanese director told Korean reporters on Wednesday (local time) on the sidelines of the ongoing 75th Cannes Film Festival in Cannes. "If the film isn't fun, it's all my fault." &quo

May 27, 2022

[Box Office] Movies in theaters this week

Good Morning (Korea) Opened May 25 Drama Directed by Cha Bong-joo Soo-mi (Kim Hwan-hee) wants to die due to the difficult situation she had to face as an orphan. Seo-jin (Yoo Sun), a volunteer hospice worker who lost her daughter five years ago, saves Soo-mi as she is about to jump off a bridge. Seo-jin tells Soo-mi that she can learn how to die at the hospice center and suggests she join the volunteers. There, Soo-mi starts teaching In-soo (Lee Soon-jae) how to read and write Korean befor

May 27, 2022

'The Roundup' becomes most-watched Korean film in pandemic era

The action comedy "The Roundup" has become the most-watched Korean film in the pandemic era, box-office data showed Thursday. The sequel to the 2017 hit comedy "The Outlaws" garnered 342,000 people Wednesday, bringing its combined total to 4.51 million, according to the Korean Film Council. It surpassed the attendance record of the previous No. 1 pandemic-era hit "Deliver Us from Evil," which was released in August 2020 and posted 4.35 million in attendance. Starrin

May 26, 2022

Park Chan-wook's 'Decision to Leave' draws favorable media reviews at Cannes

South Korean filmmaker Park Chan-wook's latest feature film, "Decision to Leave," has attracted high scores and favorable reviews from foreign news media following its premiere at this year's Cannes Film Festival earlier this week. Screen Daily, British film magazine Screen International's daily magazine for the film festival, reported Tuesday (French time) that the Korean film took an average score of 3.2 out of 4, the highest score yet on its Cannes jury grid for this

May 25, 2022

‘The Roundup’ director on overcoming hardships while filming in Vietnam amid COVID-19

For “The Roundup” director Lee Sang-yong, filming a movie amid the COVID-19 pandemic was an experience he will not until the day he dies. “We visited Vietnam for the first time in September 2019. We searched for locations to shoot the film and also finished casting Vietnamese actors. We planned to start shooting there at the end of February 2020. So a week before that, part of our team went to Vietnam. Actor So Suk-ku was also there, but we soon heard from the consulate that

May 24, 2022

Park Chan-wook returns to Cannes with romance 'Decision to Leave'

CANNES -- South Korean auteur Park Chan-wook has said that his latest Cannes-competing feature "Decision to Leave" is a precocious romance that is not as intense as his previous revenge-themed works, like "Oldboy" (2003), but is one that he really wanted to make. "Decision to Leave," which premiered at the 75th Cannes Film Festival on Monday (French time) as one of the in-competition films of the festival, is about a police detective who falls in love with a woman s

May 24, 2022